Adventure Outdoors Magazine Summer 2016 | Page 24

America’s smallest national park takes up only a few square yards in Beachwood, Ohio. It is the David Berger National Memorial, which is made up of a single sculpture on the grounds of the Mandel Jewish Community Center. White Sands National Monument is home to the largest gypsum dune field in the world. Pinnacles National Park is the newest park to be added to the National Park Service. It was upgraded to a protected land in 2013. The “Old Faithful” geyser at Yellowstone is named fittingly for its reliable eruptions, though there are no set time patterns, it is guaranteed to go off at some point. Eruption heights can be as tall as 184 feet. The deepest lake in the United States is in Crater Lake National Park – its name is Crater Lake, fittingly, and it is more than 1,900 feet deep. There are nearly 300 waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park. President Theodore Roosevelt established the first national monument, Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, on September 24, 1906. The Florida Everglades is the only true tropical forest in the northern hemisphere, and is home to many exotic animals, including the Florida Panther and the American Alligator. There are prehistoric structures preserved within the National Parks Service sites as well, including the Aztec Ruins in New Mexico and the Montezuma Castle in Arizona. This next century, the National Park Service has recommitted themselves to the same principles, and promises to continue to uphold these wonders within our country. Though times have changed, the mission has not, and the National Park Service will see to it that our American heritage is preserved in the many years to come as well. 22 Summer 2016 Adventure Outdoors “In our second century, we will fully represent our nation’s ethnically and culturally diverse communities. To achieve the promise of democracy, we will create and deliver activities, programs, and services that honor, examine, and interpret America’s complex heritage. By investing in the preservation, interpretation, and restoration of the parks and by extending the benefits of conservation to communities, the National Park Service will inspire a “more perfect union,” offering renewed hope to each generation of Americans.” – A Call to Action 2015 If you haven’t taken a trip to a national park, now is the time to start planning. If you know what it is like to enjoy the protected lands and monuments of the United States, then get involved and plan your next trip in honor of the many years of dedication that the National Park Service and its founders and contributors have put in. There are thousands of miles of land to explore; go find adventure!